Former India wicketkeeper-batter Saba Karim believes Sanju Samson’s latest failure is part of a familiar pattern in his career, but he is confident the Kerala batter will soon bounce back with a match-winning innings. Samson managed just one run in the opening T20I against England in Durham on Wednesday as India’s top order once again struggled before the middle order rescued the innings. After opting to bat first, India eventually posted 189/7, but persistent rain prevented England from beginning their chase, forcing the match to end in a no-result.
Speaking on JioHotstar, Saba Karim said Samson has often experienced phases where he loses his wicket inside the first few deliveries. However, he pointed out that once the right-hander survives that initial period, he usually goes on to play substantial knocks. “He got out to the seventh ball. On the six balls he had played before this, it seemed like either a big shot or a wicket was loading, and such phases come in Sanju’s career. If his wicket falls, it falls in the first 10 balls. If he comes out from that, he plays a very big knock,” Karim said.
The former India cricketer also credited England’s fast bowlers for executing their plans well. According to Karim, the visitors denied Samson the width and elevation he usually relies on to dominate pace bowling, eventually forcing him into a mistake.
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“The length they bowled kept Sanju in check. He didn’t get the elevation or room to play shots. His go-to shot against seam bowlers is to hit over the infield. The England pace bowlers prevented that, and that’s why a little pressure was mounting on Sanju. This situation has come in Sanju Samson’s career many times. However, I expect that he will come out of here and play a big knock for sure,” he added.
Samson’s lean run has now extended to three consecutive T20I innings. After scoring five runs in the opening match against Ireland and registering a golden duck in the second game, he added just one run against England, raising questions about his place at the top of the order. Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan also analysed Samson’s dismissal, pointing to a technical flaw that England successfully exploited.
“You want to take the ball away from Sanju Samson. Even if you don’t take the ball away, you want to keep the line outside the off-stump because his bat face remains closed. When his bat face is closed and he tries to play on the off-side, the bat face opens up at times,” Irfan Pathan explained.
Irfan Pathan added that England’s bowlers executed a well-planned strategy with their field placements and disciplined line.
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“That’s why we have seen him getting out in the slips, caught behind, and behind square many times. The thought process was to get him out with that plan. The field was changed, the bowler bowled that line, a slightly shorter length was bowled, where the ball was stopping a little, and Sanju got out there,” he observed.
India slipped to 6 for 2 after the early dismissals of Samson and Ishan Kishan, but Abhishek Sharma’s explosive 59, Shreyas Iyer’s composed 68 and Shivam Dube’s unbeaten 42 guided the visitors to a competitive total before rain had the final say.
